Once you have explained the relationship between your property and broad national themes or historic trends, you will need to provide a comparison of your property with other properties which have similar associations or characteristics. You must explain how and why your property is unique, outstanding, or exceptionally representative of a nationally significant historic theme when compared with other similar properties in the United States. Be prepared to explain why your property should be designated for this nationally significant story when compared to all other potential properties.

Comparable properties may be other designated NHLs and/or properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places. To research and understand comparable properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places and/or comparable properties which are designated NHLs, you should read through the existing NHL or National Register nomination. These documents will provide you with an understanding of the comparable property, its integrity, and its association with the event or individual in question. Your NHL contact will be able to guide you in locating these other properties.

Although some comparable properties may not be NHLs or listed in the National Register, you will still need to research and analyze those properties in your nomination.

If no other properties which relate to your property exist, you must explain this in your NHL nomination.

photograph by Madbuster75 via Flickr New Castle Historic District, DE: Situated in a strategic location on the Delaware River, the town of New Castle was controlled by the Swedes, Dutch, and British during the seventeenth century. In 1704, New Castle became the colonial capital, a position it held until 1766. After the American Revolution, New Castle served as an important conduit for the shipment of goods between the North and the South. The Historic District offers a broad range of architectural styles which are essentially unchanged from the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries.